Felix tarant howell



i (No Model.)

v F. T. HOWELL.

SHIPPING CRATE.

,Nm-15,226. Patented'reb. 20,1894.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT Ormes.

FELIX TARANT HOWELL, OF BIRMINGHAM,- ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES O.WILLIAMS AND VILLIAM J. VANN, OF SAME PLACE.

SHIPPING=CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,226, dated February20, 1894.

Application tiled February 10, 1893. Serial No.46l,772. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIXTARANT HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmin gham in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of shipping crates,usually designated knock down crates; and the objects of my improvementsare, irst, to make a shipping crate, or shipping case of that kind, thatwillbe simple of construction, strong and durable, that can be set upwithout nails, screws, or other means of fastening, other than thedevices attached to the crate, and that will be perfectly secure to shipthe goods inclosed, in the said crate, or shipping case, without dangerof coming apart; second, to make a shipping crate, or case that can betransported, from the factory to the place of using, occupying a smallamount of space, and when used, can be taken apart, packed up andshipped back, to be used again, and so used continuously until thecrate, or case is worn out. I attain these obj ects by the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is aperspective View of the crate, when set up ready for shipping. Fig'. 2,is an inside view, of one of the ends, before it is set up. Fig. 3, is atop view, of the part that forms the bottom. Fig. 4, is an inside View,of one of the sides. Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail front and side View,of one of the back side clamps. Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail front andside View, of one of the front side clamps.

Similarletters referto similar partsthroughout the several views.

The bottom A, is made of two or more slats, on both ends of the bottom,are secured cleats B, even with the ends, to hold the bottom together,and secured on the inside of the cleats are wrought iron clamps C, C,made of heavy hoop iron, having formed on their ends eyes D, D', thesaid eyes being used to secure the bottom of the sides, as hereinafterdescribed; the bottom is also provided with cleats E, E',

secured to the bottom on the inside of the ends, the said cleats holdthe ends of the crate to place, and keep them from slipping out when thecrate is put up.

The back side F, is made of two or more slats, but can be made solid ifso desired, and has secured on its inside even with the ends, two cleatsG, G', and on the inside two additional cleats l-l, H', leaving recessesI, I' between them, for the crate ends to rest in; on the outer side,are also secured wrought iron clamps J, J', having curved ends K, K onthe bottom, and eyes L, L' on the top ends as shown.

The front side M, is made in the same manner, as' above described, withthe exception, the clamps J", J'" having curved ends K" K" on thebottom, are provided with hooks N, N on the top ends, having a hole Oformed in the head of the hooks, to secure the said hooks to place, by alock,`or seal if so desired.

The ends P, and Q, are made of slats, and are provided on t-he outerside near the ends, with two cleats R, R', secured firmly to thematerial forming the ends.

The top S, is made in the same manner, as before described for thebottom, is cleated on the ends in the same Way, and is provided on theoutside with wrought iron clamps O" O", having formed on one end thecurved ends T,

T, and on the opposite ends eyes, of the form shown at L Fig. 5.

To set the crate up, the bottom is placed as shown in Fig. 3, the endsplaced on the bottom inside the cleats E,.E', the curved ends of theclamps on the sides are placed in the eyes of the bottom clamp, and thesides drawn to place resting against the ends, the curved ends of thetop clamps, are then placed in the clamp eyes on the back side of thecrate, and the top shut down until it locks on the hooks, formed on theupper end of the front clamps, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

A shipping crate, consisting of a bottom with cleats E, E' on its ends,metallic clamps secured on the outside having eyes D, D',

formed on both ends, a front and back with.

cleats H I-I' and Gr, Gr at the ends having a recess I between thecleats, the back having metallic clamps on the outside with curved tailsK formed on the bottom ends and eyes L on the top, the front havingmetallic clamps on the outside With curved tails K formed on Ithe bottomends and hook heads N on the top, a top having metallic clamps on theoutside with curved tails formed on the back: ends and eyes to close andlock over the hook-heads on the front, two crate ends to it in therecesses I, I between the cleats on the front and back, the metallicclamps binding the parts of the crate together, all combined as setforth and described.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in 15 presence of two witnesses.

FELIX TARANT HOWELL.

Witnesses:

ED. WARREN, J. J. SMITH, WM. CROSBY.

